The Pharaoh's Press Conference / All Five Executives Take the Stage

"How about you sell my identity and take the bounty home?" Shirou pondered for a moment, resting his chin on his hand, then put his arm around the woman's shoulder and suggested to Erina.

"No way!" Erina pushed Shirou away, huffing and puffing. She hoped Shirou would be more ambitious so she would have leverage to negotiate with the relevant interest groups and marry him sooner. But if Shirou became too famous, even if he himself didn't bother with women, there would still be a bunch of swarms of admirers, and she would be the one to suffer in the end.

"Let's look forward to his future performances! That concludes the introduction of the four finalists! You're all probably already familiar with the backgrounds of these big names. But! The following news is the explosive news everyone's been waiting for! No one expected this! The organizers will be revealing the judges' identities at today's press conference!"

Erina sat up straight and tightened her grip on the pen.

"Oh! The main event is finally here!" People in front of the TV exclaimed in unison.

As everyone knows, the God of Cookery Cup is a grand event of the century hosted by a mysterious sponsor. The organizers are incredibly powerful and well-connected, yet shrouded in secrecy. Neither the legitimate nor the underworld has been able to uncover any inside information. The only ones who have appeared are the judges, who have been repeatedly commissioned by the organizers.

The initial auditions featured renowned chefs from various regions, as well as local food critics and food bloggers. Then came the more demanding culinary professionals from the other world, who viewed cooking skills as an equal to life itself.

Now, ordinary gourmets, or even ordinary humans, are no longer qualified to serve as judges for this competition. Only extraordinary beings can use their extensive knowledge and keen senses to compare the dishes, which are already infinitely close to perfection, and determine the winner.

"Look everyone! On the big screen behind me, the identities of the judges for the semi-finals are finally about to be revealed! This time, five mysterious VIPs will personally appear to serve as judges for the competition."

After the beautiful host spoke, the camera zoomed out and focused on the screen at the press conference, where five photos of black figures appeared. With cool special effects animation, they zoomed in one by one, gradually revealing their true faces.

One of the judges was a chubby man with an extraordinary air, wearing a red cloak and olive leaves in his hair.

The second judge was a muscular man with short, curly red hair, a full beard, and standing 2 meters tall. His resolute and forthright smile immediately revealed him to be a rare hero, a passionate and upright man, a true gentleman.

The third judge was a European woman with long red hair, a gentle smile on her face, and a maternal glow. She was practically the ideal older sister, mother, and wife; by Japanese standards, she was a Yamato Nadeshiko).

The fourth judge is a stunningly beautiful and mysterious woman under the moon, with long brown hair and captivating crimson eyes.

The fifth judge was a young girl in a long red robe and a traditional Chinese red crown, exuding an air of authority and majesty. Upon closer inspection, however, she was actually wearing two red sun-shaped white paper fans flanking a red and black sparrow doll.

"As expected..." Shirou sighed helplessly.

To be honest, when the competition had just begun, he signed up with the idea of winning a large sum of money. This world-class competition was unprecedentedly generous; just making it into the top 32 would earn him a reward. And the prize money for reaching the top 4 was enough to buy a house in the city center of any national capital.

It's also fun to see chefs with different personalities creating novel dishes. However, when Shirou realized that these guys were involved in the competition, he became less interested in participating.

"In fifteen minutes, a press conference will be held before the God of Cookery Cup competition. The five judges mentioned above will be present to answer questions from reporters and resolve any doubts you may have."

Now, it's time for a commercial break. Viewers at home, please stay tuned. We'll see you again in fifteen minutes. For those watching online, please don't go away. This is Tokyo Banana TV, and I'm Sayuri, continuing our live broadcast.

An advertisement started playing on the television in Shirou's small restaurant.

"Speaking of which, Shirou, didn't you receive any notification about something this important beforehand?" Erina asked Shirou was sitting behind the kitchen counter, with suspicion.

"Ah... I think so. I was busy at the time, so I hung up," Shirou said after a moment's thought. Actually, he had heard a somewhat familiar voice, so he hadn't listened carefully before reflexively hanging up the phone. Later, the other party contacted him via email.

Shirou shrugged and said, "It's just a press conference for publicity, not an official match, so don't worry about it."

"Not good at all! The judges' preferences are also an important factor in winning!" Erina hand on the table, found her notebook, and sat down at the table facing the TV, preparing to record all the information.

"Actually, there's no need to go through all that trouble..." Shirou gave a helpless wry smile. At least for this competition, the only thing he didn't need to worry about was his familiarity with the judges' tastes.

The press conference officially began at 11:00 AM sharp.

A fragrant breeze wafted from the stage, accompanied by the delicate sound of a bell.

Chapter 434 The Pharaoh's Press Conference

Outside the main entrance of the closed competition venue, directly connected to the building's main gate, a raised platform made of wooden planks and steel frames was erected specifically for this press conference.

At the top of the stage for the press conference, a long, square table was placed in the center. On the tabletop were gold and silver vases filled with red roses. Facing the audience, the side of the table was covered with a red tablecloth, embroidered with a logo in gold thread in the style of a Persian carpet, resembling a golden trophy inlaid there.

Inside the large square table, five opulent red leather sofas, resembling King's thrones, were neatly arranged. The armrests and legs were gilded, and the decorations were inlaid with sparkling diamonds. Corresponding to the placement of the chairs, five red carpets embroidered with gold thread were laid out, leading all the way to the passageway inside the building.

The side facing outwards from the raised platform was much simpler, with just rows of ordinary chairs below, filled with people. They were actually representatives and reporters from well-known culinary media outlets around the world. Someone like the TV host from before didn't even have the right to sit here; he could only rely on adjusting the camera's focus to conduct a long-distance live broadcast.

But these influential media figures were all staring blankly at the platform at that moment.

Just because of the person who walked out from above, she was like a natural star. When facing the camera lens, she seemed to automatically radiate light, attracting the attention of all men with every move she made.

Walking down the red carpet was a tall woman with long, straight black hair and snow-white skin. Her slender legs were clad in fashionable high heels, and she walked with a rhythmic catwalk, displaying the poise of an international fashion supermodel.

Compared to those world-famous models, she possesses an additional noble aura, exuding a genuine pride and confidence as she confidently displays her figure, as if she were the supreme queen of this place.

This genuine self-confidence—the belief that she is the most beautiful woman in the world, the pride in her nobility, spirit, character, and wisdom—unwavering in the face of adversity, captivated everyone in the audience.

The stunning beauty on stage seemed to possess a certain allure that could stir up a certain longing in the hearts of mature men. This unique charm was irresistible to the more successful a man was; even seasoned businessmen, in her presence, couldn't help but yearn for simple love.

Of course, this is not surprising. As one of the three most famous beauties in the East, she was on par with Yang Guifei and Ono Komachi.

Yang Guifei goes without saying, but Ono Komachi was also a remarkable beauty in Japanese history. Her existence directly made the name 'Komachi' synonymous with 'beauty'. Many families named their newborn daughters after her, hoping that she would grow up to be lovely and charming.

Shirou from a certain world once said, "One Komachi is an angel, twenty thousand Komachi are hell."

Cleopatra's name, through Hollywood blockbusters, spread the fame of the Egyptian queen throughout the world, making her known to almost everyone.

As the last pharaoh of Egypt, despite her efforts to protect Egypt from the covetous gaze of the powerful Roman Empire, she had to rely on the conquerors Caesar and Antony one after the other.

But she was by no means merely a beautiful appendage. During her reign as Pharaoh, she transformed Egypt from a declining nation into a world-class economic power through her exceptional intelligence, diplomatic skills, and business acumen. She contributed financially to the military equipment used in the wars waged by both Caesar and Antony.

In Cleopatra's time, the only woman in the world with similar influence and fame was probably Zhaojun from the reign of Emperor Yuan of Han. Although she was known for her beauty that could make geese fall from the sky, she was later hailed as a peace envoy to ethnic minorities.

However, even without discarding the embellishments and artistic interpretations of later generations in unofficial histories and legends, it cannot be concealed that Zhaojun was a sacrifice sent to the Xiongnu for a marriage alliance after the decline of the Han Dynasty. Historical records state that Zhaojun Xiongnu ruler) died. Zhaojun wrote to Emperor Yuan requesting to return home, but was refused. She could only follow the customs of the Xiongnu and marry the son who succeeded to the Chanyu's throne.

In contrast, Cleopatra at least burned with passion during her youthful and beautiful years, and she certainly has every right to call herself the most beautiful woman in the world.

"What is your name?"

Which country's celebrity are you?

How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

At the press conference, people were so caught up in the excitement of vying for the right to ask this stunning beauty questions that they forgot the unspoken rules of the workplace that had been in place for years.

"Please be quiet, everyone. This is the launch event for the God of Cookery Cup. If you're personally interested in me, please do so after the main event... okay?"

Cleopatra pointed to her mouth and pleaded. The people watching her immediately stopped arguing, and the previously noisy scene fell silent in an instant.

Then the beautiful woman hosting the press conference began her speech. "First, let me introduce the mastermind behind this project. He claims that if you lose 100 pounds, you'll become a world-famous, unparalleled beauty, like Apollo!!!"

Although the woman on stage seemed to be trying very hard to speak well of the person making the introduction, it didn't seem like many people believed her.

"..." The people below the stage all wore expressions of disbelief. The woman on stage was indeed beautiful, and her voice was lovely, but what she said was somewhat inexplicable, and her aesthetic sense was questionable. Was she lying? Was it really true, as Mom said, that the more beautiful a woman is, the less you can trust what she says?

"This... this! You can use the face-slimming function on your phone to prove it!" Cleopatra even pulled out her iPhone to make her point.

"..." The reporters below the stage looked at the beauty on the stage with tolerant eyes. Even if she lied, they would of course choose to forgive her.

Cleopatra, undeterred, continued to praise, "This gentleman is truly a charismatic person. He only had to ask, and Egyptian multinational corporations voluntarily provided 90% of the funding for this conference!"

"As for his ability to appreciate fine food, there's no need for any doubt! Because this remarkable person has another title! He is the Caesar of the food judging world!!!"

On the high platform, the pharaoh—no... the female host raised a hand, pointing to the large screen behind her. At the same time, cannons fired at the press conference, and colorful ribbons and petals danced in the wind, decorating the large screen with wondrous colors.

The scene shifts to the event organizer's press conference. The camera focuses on a woman sitting in the center, with a large, round belly and a very pleasant-speaking Red Saber appearing on the big screen!

"Hello, hello. Gentlemen, thank you for attending this press conference. And hello to the viewers watching the live stream." Red Saber waved warmly to the crowd through the camera, just as she had when she ran for office, hoping to win the people's votes.

"Ohhhhhhh!" The surrounding audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

"Oh, I never expected it to be such an important person, even though I never heard of it before," someone exclaimed in admiration.

Cleopatra, standing to the side, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. One wonders how much money she actually spent on powder for Caesar.

"Caesar? I've never heard of him before. His name sounds intimidating." Erina said, looking intently at the red, chubby man on the TV.

"No, no, because he is that Caesar..." Shirou waved his hand, his dead fish eyes wide as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself. Thinking that arguing would be troublesome, he was too lazy to explain further and just muttered to himself.

In today's world dominated by Western culture, the number of people out of seven billion who have never heard of Julius Caesar is definitely smaller than the number who have.

From the founding of the Roman Empire until the 19th century, the nominal legitimate ruler of Europe was the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. For nearly two thousand years, all European countries were considered vassal states of Rome, and only those who received the title of 'Caesar' could be considered the recognized legitimate leader of Europe.

Although Caesar was never officially Emperor, he wielded the power of one, and his surname became synonymous with Western emperors. Just as Qin Shi Huang invented the title of "emperor" in the East, he made himself a symbol of Western emperors.

Qin Shi Huang completed the unification of the nation, achieving a true unification of the country based on shared cultural origins. He standardized the width of cart tracks, the written language, and weights and measures, establishing a consensus of unification for future generations. If it weren't for the mishaps of his cultivation of immortality, as long as he lived, the Qin Dynasty would have been unshakeable.

Caesar was a genius who drew up the blueprint for the development of the Roman Empire, and he was also the founder who conquered Gaul and laid the foundation for Rome.

He traversed Eurasia and Africa, waging war everywhere, and being a glutton, he ate his way through every place he went. After becoming Servant, he came into contact with the delicacies of later generations and ate himself into a ball shape. As a connoisseur of fine food, his strength is absolutely unquestionable.

"In short, he's absolutely qualified to be a judge," Shirou changed his mind.

"But... he's so fat he looks like he could roll around?" Erina said, not quite believing it.

Just like chefs who cook large batches of food often become overweight, while many famous chefs remain lean and slender, it's the same principle that, at a certain point, both the cooks and the connoisseurs have higher expectations for the food.

Generally speaking, top-tier gourmets become increasingly picky about food after reaching this level. Like Erina with her divine tongue, because she's so sensitive, she can't swallow anything that isn't truly gourmet; she'd reject even a single bite.

What others find acceptable as delicious is a flawed and defective product in her mouth. The moment it enters her mouth, the dish's shortcomings are fully revealed, like a cratered basketball that can still roll and bounce, but is simply unpleasant to eat.

Just like connoisseurs of wine and tea, the appreciation of these qualities requires years of accumulated experience.

Why is it that some chefs can only sell a dish for a few dozen yuan, while others can sell it for thousands? Ordinary people can taste that the more expensive dish is indeed tastier when comparing the two, but they can't explain why or why it costs thousands more.

Dozens of flaws and shortcomings flashed through her mind: too little salt, ingredients not fresh enough, poor handling leaving a fishy smell, meat too tough... How could she possibly eat properly under these circumstances?

"Shirou, you're here in this shop, aren't you hoping to make your customers happy with your cooking?" Erina said.

"Yes, that's true." Shirou thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

"Right!" Erina analyzed, "That's how qualified chefs are. My cuisine pursues deliciousness and elegance, aiming for perfection in both visual appeal and taste. Then, it extends from these two points, continuously penetrating the body and conveying the beauty of the food to all the senses, bringing people ultimate satisfaction."

For a true chef, eating is not just about filling one's stomach, but more about savoring the food, chewing slowly and carefully, which naturally leads to eating less.

Once they become famous, they are often invited to meet with customers, and their image becomes their calling card, so they can't afford not to maintain it. In fact, among the chefs of Shirou and Erina's generation, most of those who made a name for themselves were people who had both excellent cooking skills and good looks.

"Now you understand! I'm a professional gourmet too!" Erina tossed her golden bangs, her long hair swaying behind her, and raised her right hand, pointing at Shirou, saying confidently.

That's certainly true. Erina's palate is among the best in the world, and countless restaurants are willing to pay to have her taste their new dishes.

If it weren't for the fact that she was also a participant in this competition, she would probably have been invited to serve as a judge in the previous preliminary rounds.

As for the current semi-finals, considering the existence of her grandfather Nakiri Senzaemon, it's impossible to invite her to avoid suspicion. Not to mention, besides her grandfather, there's actually another person she has a close relationship with: Masked X.

Well, now... Shirou finally understands. This young lady isn't concerned about Caesar's strength; it's just that her competitive spirit as a gourmet has been inadvertently provoked.

"Erina, you're right, but Caesar is quite picky when it comes to food. Of course! If it were up to me, I'd definitely prefer to have the perfectly proportioned and discerning Erina taste my cooking." Shirou calmly placed the brewed black tea on the table where the blonde girl was sitting and said softly.

"Right~!!" Erina looked happy when she heard Shirou's reply.

However, she quickly wiped the smile off her face, crossed her arms proudly, and changed her tune, saying, "... Hmph! Don't you know who I am? My God Tongue is more than enough to be a judge in a culinary competition like this!"

"Yes, yes." Shirou chuckled as he looked at Erina's open mouth, inwardly thinking, 'Right, right, I know exactly what your tongue tastes like.'

"Wait! Shirou! Where are you looking!?" Erina noticed the ambiguous gaze and felt something was off, so she looked at Shirou with a puzzled expression and asked.

"Of course, it's Erina's beautiful lips," Shirou said honestly.

Erina blushed, suppressing a sweet smile, and playfully punched Shirou's shoulder, saying, "Idiot! Idiot!"

Hisako was standing to the side as a background figure, squinted her eyes, sipped her black tea, and looked at the TV, completely unaware of the two people's behavior.

It seems that even in broad daylight, she can't escape being subjected to a dose of PDA. Remember when Shirou and the young lady were like this? People really do change over time...

'Ugh... if I had known it would turn out like this, she wouldn't have become the secretary.'

'You idiot couple, just get married already! I'm so angry!'

At this point, after Caesar answered a few questions from reporters, the press conference moved on to the next stage.

Miss Cleopatra, the host, raised her hand and shouted, "And then comes the noble and tough man from Greece, Mr. Alexander! He is the key contributor to this Holy Grail Chef Competition!"

It was precisely because he traveled to hundreds of countries, met with government departments and rulers of various kingdoms, and reached a consensus through exchanges that this world championship was successfully held!

Chapter 435 The Five Giants Make Their Debut

Although Cleopatra was very proud, she still showed a very respectful demeanor when introducing the Conqueror King. After all, her ancestor, Pharaoh Ptolemy I, had been by the Conqueror King's side since childhood and had always been Conqueror King confidant.

It was precisely because of Conqueror King the Alexander's unprecedented ambition, leading countless powerful soldiers and generals to complete a great conquest that the world thought impossible, that her ancestors were able to be granted such a large territory as Egypt. In a sense, Cleopatra's position as Pharaoh was also inherited from Alexander.

After Alexander's death, his only heirs were a half-brother who was mentally challenged, an illegitimate child, and an unborn son.

The powerful subordinates under the Conqueror King, whether Macedonian nobles or ambitious generals who had made great achievements, were all unwilling to submit to each other, and they were immediately plunged into an internal struggle known as the War of the Diadochi.

As a renowned general with military power, Ptolemy was appointed governor of Egypt. In the Wars of the Diadochi, he fought steadily and surely, first overthrowing the regent Parthian who tried every means to kill generals who posed a threat to him, and then defeating the most powerful veteran general, Antigonus I, through a coalition of forces.

He was finally crowned king in Egypt, which led to the establishment of the Ptolemy Dynasty.

"In other words, it is precisely because of this sir that the title 'God of Cookery' in the God of God of Cookery Cup is truly well-deserved! What we have prepared for the winner of the tournament is not only this golden cauldron, but also world-renowned glory!"

The title of "God of Cookery" represents not only the champion of this competition, but also the strongest person recognized by people all over the world. The ultimate winner of this competition will undoubtedly be the one with the world's most renowned culinary skills, standing at the pinnacle of human achievement, truly deserving of the title "God of Cookery."

The camera focused on the red carpet behind the second seat from the left. A burly man with thick, curly red hair, a full beard, a straight nose, and the height of a basketball center walked out from the backstage aisle, revealing his clean, white teeth.

"Hahaha, what a magnificent sight! It has brought the whole world together, and even people from countries I was unable to visit in my lifetime are paying attention to this gathering. Caesar!!! Thank you for inviting me to such a grand event with the children of Ptolemy!" Iskandar, King of Conquerors, stepped forward and extended a hand to Caesar.

Caesar stood up and replied in a voice that was completely at odds with his appearance, "Hehehehe! Great Emperor! Iskandar! You are my idol in my youth, and also Cleopatra's elder. It is my honor to sit with you."

Iskandar laughed heartily, patted the red-faced fat man on the back, and said with a loud laugh, "Hahahaha, no need for such politeness, Gaius, you are the truly remarkable man. I was merely leading my brothers to pursue a dream. But you founded a truly enduring empire, and the name Caesar became synonymous with the legitimate emperors of Europe for generations to come! Your achievements are second to none in this world."